Too bad. This was a nice theater in its day, before the rooms were cut up – and certainly before it was gutted for multiplexing. Nothing fancy inside, but a deluxe house with a big wide screen and curtains used in the presentations.
The titles on the marquee in that nycsubway photo are listed as having NYC release dates in November, 1960, and January, 1961, respectively. With the snow on the ground, January of 1961 is a good bet. There should be a previous name of just Hillside Theatre for this listing.
I’m constantly amazed at the photographic documentation Matt Lambros has been able to assemble on his website. Are you the photographer, Matt? Your work is fantastic on several levels, not the least of which includes gaining access to the nooks and crannies of these buildings and the impeccable quality of the images. So glad you are sharing these efforts with Cinema Treasures. Terrific job!
Just wondering if there should be a way of using an original (even if antiquated) address for a movie theater, while also displaying the modern address equivalent in the heading. Interesting that the obsolete address of 251 Jackson Ave has Google mapped to the exact spot where we believe this theater to have existed (now known as 24-29 Jackson Ave). Perhaps the site administrator did some hard-coding behind the scenes? I still think displaying both addresses where appropriate (and where known) would be very helpful. The modern address would map the location correctly, while listing the old address as well would provide some historic integrity.
John, at the top of the page is a series of arrow-like tabs that appear to be drilling down geographically to the location of the theater: “Movie Theaters, United States, New York, Long Island City, SUNNYSIDE, Vernon Theatre.” These are on every theater page and they often contain, for NYC theaters (and Queens in particular) that one neighborhood sub-category that seems completely out of left field. I’ve stopped trying to figure out the logic, and basically ignore those tabs and stick to what’s on the page itself and using the zip-code finder to locate nearby theaters.
Al, referring to the Gotham/Tri-boro as an alternate Teatro Latino, it seems that Tinseltoes posted a comment on that theater’s page about a “Latino Theatre” ad from a 1967 edition of the Amsterdam News. Might be a good idea to post the ad over on that page and see if it stirs up any discussion.
Based on the 1938 image posted by Tinseltoes, the theater was clearly on the corner of W 110th and 5th Avenue (the north west corner of that intersection). I’ve adjusted the street view accordingly. I wonder if the building was demolished due to a widening of the traffic circle know as Frawley Circle, where an impressive statue of Duke Ellington now presides. Anyway, appears the site is now a parking lot.
Hey Al… there’s a church called La Sinagoga at 115-125 East 125th Street just west of Lexington Avenue. Looks like it is listed here as the Harlem Grand Theatre. Could this have been known as Teatro Latino at some point? The RKO Proctor’s 125th Street was across the street on the south side of 125th and closed in the 1950’s, but could have re-opened as a Spanish-language theater before being demolished. Just east of Lexington Ave was the Gotham Theatre but it is listed has having been demolished in 1965.
Wow. Gorgeous interior! I was mistaken when I though this was a theater I had attended in the mid 1980’s to see “Return of the Living Dead.” The theater where I saw that flick was nowhere near as ornate as this one.
According to a map on the website that lostmemory linked to above, the drive-in was located to the north of the sand pits that are now operated Hubbard Sand & Gravel. Looks like the drive-in was situated on the west side of 5th Avenue between Connecticut and Massachusettes Avenues. The Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct, an auto salvage yard, recycling yard and various other related businesses (tire shop, auto glass repair, etc) are located on the site.
Hey William… Yup, I’m aware of it. Unfortunately, I only noticed it at a time when I was about to run out the door and didn’t have time to fix it then and there. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll try and delete the pics from the wrong theater and add them to the correct one sometime this weekend!
Fair point, techman. But I think in general, Queens gets the short end of the landmarking stick when compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The Blondie title on the marquee opened in October of 1940, per imdb.com. And while “The Great Dictator” is noted as having premiered in NYC on October 15, 1940, a USA release of March 7, 1941, is also listed. I presume that would be the general release after an exclusive Broadway engagement. If the Hillside ran a couple of weeks behind the Valencia, I’d say early spring of ‘41 is a safe bet.
Thanks for posting the photo, Don. It’s great. I hope the administrators here swap it out for the crummy photo I took from the LIRR! Or if enough people view it, I think it will automatically become the default image.
Techman, at least the Kings looks like it has a future. I think of the Kings and I get burned up because over in Queens, the RKO Keith’s site is being turned into another condominium project! All the politicians are tooting their horns about how this “iconic site” will finally be restored to glory, but in fact, only the magnificent lobby will be somewhat resurrected – with its southern wall removed so that passersby can stare in from the street through a proposed glass curtain wall on Northern Blvd. And what does this mean for the grand entrance foyer? Who knows? Brooklyn already has the BAM opera house, the BAM Harvey Theatre and now it gets the Kings back. Queens gets another overpriced housing project in a neighborhood already teeming with masses.
Excellent point, Al. Doesn’t make me feel any better about it. But should I expect anything less from policital entities like the local CB’s and the LPC than that they shirk their responsibilities and/or ignore their charters only to satisfy the needs of a few wealthy real estate developers? Throw into that mix a few corrupt and powerful elected officals and the doom of these beloved strucutres has been more or less sealed.
Saw the latest Harry Potter flick in the new “IMAX” auditorium. It is certainly the largest room in the multiplex and the projection of the widescreen movie on the new floor to ceiling sheet makes for a nice big image… but it certainly doesn’t compare to the true IMAX experiences in theaters like the Lincoln Square in Manhattan.
It should be noted that the site currently includes a well known performance space in Alice Tully Hall, which recently underwent an ambitous redesign and renovation that was completed in 2009.
Passed by the other day and progress is about the same as the last time I snapped some photos a couple of weeks back. I noticed that they are excavating behind the stage house on the northern side of the building. Perhaps making for a new loading bay or maybe working on upgrading utilities for the theater. The construction gate was left open on the southern side of the building where those large cuts were made in the auditorium wall. Unfortunately, there was a heavy downfall at the time I drove around, or I might have chanced a bit of trespass and snapped some interior pics with my phone.
Ok, so maybe I had young Mr Radcliffe in mind when I wrote that, but more generally speaking, more and more Broadway productions have resorted to gimmicky celebrity casting (with varying degrees of success – both financial and critical) to put more fannies in the seats – and extort higher prices while doing so. In any event, NY is about the cash-cow of legit theater. I’m sure LA is all about the money, too, but on that coast the money comes from Hollywood and more cinema treasures out there are allowed to prosper in their original purpose. I’m a bit jealous of that.
Hey, Al… You are correct. I guess we can say the Criterion was the last of the big roadshow houses to close on Times Square proper, but the good ole Playpen outlasted the rest of the neighborhood cinemas by a good country mile!
Saps… you gave me a good chuckle with that poem, thanks! And I couldn’t agree more with tech man and Astyanax about the criminal destruction of the Roxy. Add the Capitol, Rivoli and Loew’s State to that mix. As I’ve said many times before on this site, NYC doesn’t give a damn about its rich and significant heritage in the world of cinematic exhibition. When it comes to landmarking and protecting theaters, it’s all about the Benjamins…. with a capital B that rhymes with T that stands for TOURISM!!
“Broadway” is legitimate theatre, where people come from out of town to get shellacked at the box office to the tune of about $250 for a pair of ducats to see the latest Hollywood star take his ill-advised turn at yet another musical-comedy revival. Gone are the days of glittering red carpet movie premieres along the Great White Way. Gone and completely swept under the carpet by those allegedly in charge of preserving our cultural heritage.
Just re-reading the opening comments… What was the last of the vintage Times Square cinemas to close? The Loew’s Astor Plaza was a relative newcomer to the area, so I wouldn’t count that. Same with the subterranean Loew’s State 4 that replaced the original Loew’s State Theatre. Was the Criterion the last of the old guard to vanish? I know the Playpen on Eigth Avenue probably outlasted ALL of the area cinemas, but I would also discount it since I doubt any actual film was projected onto that screen in the last 15 years of its existence.
Thanks for posting, kurt. I remember seeing Radio Days here during your time as manager. A few years earlier, I did see a more conventional (and sort of goofy) fantasy/adventure flick here called The Beastmaster. Last movie I caught here was Trainspotting, upstairs in the summer of 1996. I miss this theater. Enjoyed watching films in both auditoriums, but really liked the raked seating of the balcony room.
I’ve been perusing some old articles to try and piece it together and my statement that Trans-Lux had taken over the Guild Theatre may have been based on a misunderstanding. I found at least one reference that says the theater was acquired by “Normal W Elson, president of Trans-Lux Corporation.” Seeing something like that may have lead me believe that the corporation had bought the theater, when in fact it was likely that Norman purchased the theater himslef and was merely identified by his position with Trans-Lux.
I don’t know the complete history between Trans-Lux, the Elson’s, or Guild Enterprises (or the Brandt Organization for that matter), but its probably safe to assume that Elson left Trans-Lux to form his own theater chain in 1949 and that the acquisition of the Guild was the first building block of that new enterprise.
My apologies for any confusion on that matter and I welcome further clarification from those more familiar with the historical facts. For instance, the Embassy name seems to date back to some of the earliest newsreel theaters around the city; was this an existing chain that Elson acquired when he formed Guild Enterprises, or did he acquire these theaters piecemeal?
Too bad. This was a nice theater in its day, before the rooms were cut up – and certainly before it was gutted for multiplexing. Nothing fancy inside, but a deluxe house with a big wide screen and curtains used in the presentations.
The titles on the marquee in that nycsubway photo are listed as having NYC release dates in November, 1960, and January, 1961, respectively. With the snow on the ground, January of 1961 is a good bet. There should be a previous name of just Hillside Theatre for this listing.
I’m constantly amazed at the photographic documentation Matt Lambros has been able to assemble on his website. Are you the photographer, Matt? Your work is fantastic on several levels, not the least of which includes gaining access to the nooks and crannies of these buildings and the impeccable quality of the images. So glad you are sharing these efforts with Cinema Treasures. Terrific job!
Just wondering if there should be a way of using an original (even if antiquated) address for a movie theater, while also displaying the modern address equivalent in the heading. Interesting that the obsolete address of 251 Jackson Ave has Google mapped to the exact spot where we believe this theater to have existed (now known as 24-29 Jackson Ave). Perhaps the site administrator did some hard-coding behind the scenes? I still think displaying both addresses where appropriate (and where known) would be very helpful. The modern address would map the location correctly, while listing the old address as well would provide some historic integrity.
John, at the top of the page is a series of arrow-like tabs that appear to be drilling down geographically to the location of the theater: “Movie Theaters, United States, New York, Long Island City, SUNNYSIDE, Vernon Theatre.” These are on every theater page and they often contain, for NYC theaters (and Queens in particular) that one neighborhood sub-category that seems completely out of left field. I’ve stopped trying to figure out the logic, and basically ignore those tabs and stick to what’s on the page itself and using the zip-code finder to locate nearby theaters.
Al, referring to the Gotham/Tri-boro as an alternate Teatro Latino, it seems that Tinseltoes posted a comment on that theater’s page about a “Latino Theatre” ad from a 1967 edition of the Amsterdam News. Might be a good idea to post the ad over on that page and see if it stirs up any discussion.
Based on the 1938 image posted by Tinseltoes, the theater was clearly on the corner of W 110th and 5th Avenue (the north west corner of that intersection). I’ve adjusted the street view accordingly. I wonder if the building was demolished due to a widening of the traffic circle know as Frawley Circle, where an impressive statue of Duke Ellington now presides. Anyway, appears the site is now a parking lot.
Hey Al… there’s a church called La Sinagoga at 115-125 East 125th Street just west of Lexington Avenue. Looks like it is listed here as the Harlem Grand Theatre. Could this have been known as Teatro Latino at some point? The RKO Proctor’s 125th Street was across the street on the south side of 125th and closed in the 1950’s, but could have re-opened as a Spanish-language theater before being demolished. Just east of Lexington Ave was the Gotham Theatre but it is listed has having been demolished in 1965.
Wow. Gorgeous interior! I was mistaken when I though this was a theater I had attended in the mid 1980’s to see “Return of the Living Dead.” The theater where I saw that flick was nowhere near as ornate as this one.
According to a map on the website that lostmemory linked to above, the drive-in was located to the north of the sand pits that are now operated Hubbard Sand & Gravel. Looks like the drive-in was situated on the west side of 5th Avenue between Connecticut and Massachusettes Avenues. The Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct, an auto salvage yard, recycling yard and various other related businesses (tire shop, auto glass repair, etc) are located on the site.
Nice catch, Don. Looks like the advertising is over a set of exit doors for the theater.
Hey William… Yup, I’m aware of it. Unfortunately, I only noticed it at a time when I was about to run out the door and didn’t have time to fix it then and there. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll try and delete the pics from the wrong theater and add them to the correct one sometime this weekend!
Fair point, techman. But I think in general, Queens gets the short end of the landmarking stick when compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The Blondie title on the marquee opened in October of 1940, per imdb.com. And while “The Great Dictator” is noted as having premiered in NYC on October 15, 1940, a USA release of March 7, 1941, is also listed. I presume that would be the general release after an exclusive Broadway engagement. If the Hillside ran a couple of weeks behind the Valencia, I’d say early spring of ‘41 is a safe bet.
Thanks for posting the photo, Don. It’s great. I hope the administrators here swap it out for the crummy photo I took from the LIRR! Or if enough people view it, I think it will automatically become the default image.
Techman, at least the Kings looks like it has a future. I think of the Kings and I get burned up because over in Queens, the RKO Keith’s site is being turned into another condominium project! All the politicians are tooting their horns about how this “iconic site” will finally be restored to glory, but in fact, only the magnificent lobby will be somewhat resurrected – with its southern wall removed so that passersby can stare in from the street through a proposed glass curtain wall on Northern Blvd. And what does this mean for the grand entrance foyer? Who knows? Brooklyn already has the BAM opera house, the BAM Harvey Theatre and now it gets the Kings back. Queens gets another overpriced housing project in a neighborhood already teeming with masses.
Sorry for the off-topic rant, by the way.
A rare theater to have been multiplexed and then to have had the number of screens REDUCED from four to two!
Excellent point, Al. Doesn’t make me feel any better about it. But should I expect anything less from policital entities like the local CB’s and the LPC than that they shirk their responsibilities and/or ignore their charters only to satisfy the needs of a few wealthy real estate developers? Throw into that mix a few corrupt and powerful elected officals and the doom of these beloved strucutres has been more or less sealed.
Saw the latest Harry Potter flick in the new “IMAX” auditorium. It is certainly the largest room in the multiplex and the projection of the widescreen movie on the new floor to ceiling sheet makes for a nice big image… but it certainly doesn’t compare to the true IMAX experiences in theaters like the Lincoln Square in Manhattan.
It should be noted that the site currently includes a well known performance space in Alice Tully Hall, which recently underwent an ambitous redesign and renovation that was completed in 2009.
Passed by the other day and progress is about the same as the last time I snapped some photos a couple of weeks back. I noticed that they are excavating behind the stage house on the northern side of the building. Perhaps making for a new loading bay or maybe working on upgrading utilities for the theater. The construction gate was left open on the southern side of the building where those large cuts were made in the auditorium wall. Unfortunately, there was a heavy downfall at the time I drove around, or I might have chanced a bit of trespass and snapped some interior pics with my phone.
Ok, so maybe I had young Mr Radcliffe in mind when I wrote that, but more generally speaking, more and more Broadway productions have resorted to gimmicky celebrity casting (with varying degrees of success – both financial and critical) to put more fannies in the seats – and extort higher prices while doing so. In any event, NY is about the cash-cow of legit theater. I’m sure LA is all about the money, too, but on that coast the money comes from Hollywood and more cinema treasures out there are allowed to prosper in their original purpose. I’m a bit jealous of that.
Hey, Al… You are correct. I guess we can say the Criterion was the last of the big roadshow houses to close on Times Square proper, but the good ole Playpen outlasted the rest of the neighborhood cinemas by a good country mile!
Saps… you gave me a good chuckle with that poem, thanks! And I couldn’t agree more with tech man and Astyanax about the criminal destruction of the Roxy. Add the Capitol, Rivoli and Loew’s State to that mix. As I’ve said many times before on this site, NYC doesn’t give a damn about its rich and significant heritage in the world of cinematic exhibition. When it comes to landmarking and protecting theaters, it’s all about the Benjamins…. with a capital B that rhymes with T that stands for TOURISM!!
“Broadway” is legitimate theatre, where people come from out of town to get shellacked at the box office to the tune of about $250 for a pair of ducats to see the latest Hollywood star take his ill-advised turn at yet another musical-comedy revival. Gone are the days of glittering red carpet movie premieres along the Great White Way. Gone and completely swept under the carpet by those allegedly in charge of preserving our cultural heritage.
Just re-reading the opening comments… What was the last of the vintage Times Square cinemas to close? The Loew’s Astor Plaza was a relative newcomer to the area, so I wouldn’t count that. Same with the subterranean Loew’s State 4 that replaced the original Loew’s State Theatre. Was the Criterion the last of the old guard to vanish? I know the Playpen on Eigth Avenue probably outlasted ALL of the area cinemas, but I would also discount it since I doubt any actual film was projected onto that screen in the last 15 years of its existence.
Thanks for posting, kurt. I remember seeing Radio Days here during your time as manager. A few years earlier, I did see a more conventional (and sort of goofy) fantasy/adventure flick here called The Beastmaster. Last movie I caught here was Trainspotting, upstairs in the summer of 1996. I miss this theater. Enjoyed watching films in both auditoriums, but really liked the raked seating of the balcony room.
I’ve been perusing some old articles to try and piece it together and my statement that Trans-Lux had taken over the Guild Theatre may have been based on a misunderstanding. I found at least one reference that says the theater was acquired by “Normal W Elson, president of Trans-Lux Corporation.” Seeing something like that may have lead me believe that the corporation had bought the theater, when in fact it was likely that Norman purchased the theater himslef and was merely identified by his position with Trans-Lux.
I don’t know the complete history between Trans-Lux, the Elson’s, or Guild Enterprises (or the Brandt Organization for that matter), but its probably safe to assume that Elson left Trans-Lux to form his own theater chain in 1949 and that the acquisition of the Guild was the first building block of that new enterprise.
My apologies for any confusion on that matter and I welcome further clarification from those more familiar with the historical facts. For instance, the Embassy name seems to date back to some of the earliest newsreel theaters around the city; was this an existing chain that Elson acquired when he formed Guild Enterprises, or did he acquire these theaters piecemeal?